Hospiscare is urgently calling for local businesses to raise £15,000 between them by the end of December to pay for the patient bathroom in the new East Devon Day Hospice in Honiton.

To reach the target, the charity needs 30 businesses to join its ‘Tub Club’ and each raise £500.

The bathroom is an essential part of the hospice and is extremely popular with terminally ill patients, enabling them to relax in a big bath of bubbles, which many cannot do at home.

The new bathroom will have specialist equipment including a jacuzzi bath with a hoist to ensure those who are less mobile can safely enjoy a relaxing bath.

“Warm water and bubbles gives me a special moment of normality and the chance to feel like myself again,” said one patient, Gemma.

John Arnold, Hospiscare’s corporate relations manager, added: “This is a great way for local businesses to get involved with this exciting project, and by joining the Tub Club to provide the bathroom – an essential and very popular part of the new building.”

Local people have already raised £55,000 towards the £250,000 target, which will help to finish the build and run the first year of the service.

Hospiscare provides care throughout Exeter, Mid and East Devon to patients and their families living with terminal illness.

The new Hospiscare day hospice is being built in Honiton to bring services closer to people’s homes and to meet the increasing need, expected to rise by 20 per cent over the next eight years.

The new East Devon Day Hospice is being built in partnership with the Budleigh Salterton, Exmouth & Lympstone and Sidmouth Hospiscare charities, as the service will benefit patients in all these areas.”

The bathroom at Hospiscare’s Tiverton day hospice, Pine Lodge, is in constant demand.

“It’s one of the reasons people come here and it is one of our busiest rooms,” said Emma Fisher, Mid Devon day team leader.

“Patients find it so relaxing and it helps us as nurses to assess patients physically and gives us one-to-one time with patients when they can open up to us.”

Help Hospiscare bring special moments to more patients like Gemma – sign up to its Tub Club today and be one of 30 special business to build its bathroom.

Businesses who sign up will be invited to an exclusive launch and thank you event at the new day hospice.

To sign up call John Arnold, Hopsicare’s corporate relations manager, on 01392 688057 or email j.arnold@hospiscare.co.uk.

Hospiscare’s top tips to raise £500

Plan your fundraising to feel more confident in your goal. Here are some simple fundraising ideas:

• Collection tins – put as many appeal collection tins out as possible.

• Cake bakes – in an office environment a monthly cake sale can quickly add up and provide a good feel- good factor.

• Pub quiz – recruit ten teams of four people and charge £10 per team, hold a raffle on the night and you could easily raise £150.

• Sweepstake – run a sweepstake for a major sporting event and encourage staff, customers and suppliers to make a donation.

• Guess the number of sweets in the jar – if you have a busy shop environment you could leave your fundraiser on the counter-top for a couple of months.